Pneumatic pump



' June 10, 1930.

PNEUMAT I C PUMP Filed NOV. ll, 1927 M. s. swANsTRoM 2 Sheets-Sham. l

June 10, 1930. M. s. wANsTRoM PNEUMAT I C PUMP Filed Nov. ll. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 10, 1930 PATENT OFFICE MARTIN S. SANSTROM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS PNEUMATIC PUMP Application led November 11, 1927.

My invention relates to pneumatic pumps of the submerged type, and has -for its ol ject improvements in pumps oit that kind. More particularly, the present invention re lates to the single ycylinder type of pump and one of the main objects is to make the pump so that there will be no screws, bolts, nuts or other small parts to get loose, or drop out of position.

In the Aaccompanying drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation with the tubular casing in section so as to show interior parts;

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional elevation at i5 right angles to Fig. 1;

rF ig. 3 is an enlarged section of the upper part of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a section on linel 5-5 of Fig. 3, with parts in elevation; Y

Figy is a sectional elevation through the air inlet connections;

Fig. 7 is a similar sectional elevation through the air outlet connections; Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation through the lower head; and

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8. In general the device consists of a tube or shell 11, and upper head 12, a lower head 13 and bolts 14 provided with nuts 15. As will be explained later, these bolts are water tubes.

The lower head 13 is a cylindrical cage having a closed bottom 16 from which rises a stem 17. The upper face of the head 13 provides a port 18 which is closed by a valve 19 which has a stem 20 projecting down into the bored out stem 17. Shoulders 21 on the bolts 14 limit the rise of the valve 19, and slots 22 in the periphery of the cage 13 permit water to ilow inward under valve 19.

The upper head 12 is a cylindrical. casing having openings iny its upper and lower faces, but none in its periphery. The cenltral opening above is threaded to receive the water dischargev pipe 23, and on opposite sides below the lower face has openings 24 (Fig. 4) which are threaded to receive the upper parts of tubular bolts 14 shown in Fig. 5. This'construction puts the Serial No. 232,516.

vnections with the interior oi the tube or shell 11 as will be explained hereinafter.

Cast solid with the upper head 12 is a frame work 30 which extends downward and forms a general support and guide, within which is contained the valve operating parts. Part of the frame 30 is a tie 31 which connects opposite side of the iframe,

and piyoted on this tie is a lever 32 which Cil consists of two parallel bars connected by cross ties 33 and 34. The connection bctween tie 31 and lever 32 is by a forli as shown in Fig. 3, and this connection is restrained from displacement in a manner to be described.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the lower face of head 12 is penetrated by a drill which passes through chamber 2G, and the lower end of the hole drilled is tapped to receive a o screw threaded tube G4. Above the screw threads, the tube G4 is smaller in diameter than the drilled hole and it extends upward beyond the chamber 2G to nearly the end of the drilled hole. The inner part ot' tube 64 furnishes a seat for a ball valve 65. Because the tube 64 extends to nearly the end of the drilled hole, the ball can not escape from the tube by turning the device upside down. In that part of tube 64 which extends below the head 12 are transverse openings 66 which serve to put the interior of the shell 11 in communication with the air inlet pipe 23 when the ball G5 is raised from its seat.

A rod 37 has its upper end guided in the lower extension of tube 64, and its lower end formed with a head 33 having a lateral slot embracing the tie 33. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, the head the rod 37 is a forked lug 41, and in thisV fork is a rod 42 which has a valve 43 on its upper end. This valve is loosely guided in the hole which contains the seat, and is designed to close the connection between the interior of the shell 11 and the chamber 27 when the rod 42 is raised.

A little above the middle of its length the rod 42 has a collar 44, and on the lower end of rod 42 is a head 45 which is larger than the slot in the lug 41. Between the lug 41 and the collar 44 is a spring 46 which acts to push the rod 42 upward, but such action is limited by the head 45 engaging the lower face of lug 41.

When the lever 32 is raised by turning it on its pivot 31, the rod 37 is raised so as to lift the valve 65 from its seat and place the interior of the shell 11 in communication with the air inlet pipe 28. But this upward movement of the rod 37 lifts rod 42 so as to close the connection between the interior of the shell 11 and the air discharge pipe 29. When the lever 32 falls to the position shown in Fig. 3, the downward 'movement of the rod 37 permits the ball valve 65 to fall to its seat and prevent the inward flow of air from pipe 28. The same downward movement opens the exhaust valve 43 and permits air to flow from the interior of the shell to the discharge pipe 29. The bridge or tie 39 limits this downward movement of the lever 32, and the bridge or tie 49 limits the upward movement.

lVithin the lower part of the shell 11 is a float 47 which is connected by a link 48 with the outer end of the lever 32. This link is made of spring wire. As shown in Fig. 1, the left hand branch of this link is bent to the right at its upper end and passes through the ends of the bars which constitute the lever 32 and supports a roller 50 located between those ends. The right hand branch is perforated to receive the reduced tip of the left hand end, as shown at 5l'in Figs. 1 and 3. The spring tension of the sides of the link serves to hold these parts together but permits them to be freed by hand so as to disconnect the ioat and roller from lever 32.

A cup 52 has hooks 53 on its back adapted to engage and be supported by a tie 54 between parts of the frame 30. On the bottom of this cup, and on Ythe side away from the hooks 53, is a downward projection 55 'of lever 32 under loatingaction of float 47 when it is submerged. In the same way, the recess 56 acts to resist without preventing the downward movement of the lever 32 from its upper position under the weight of the float when the water level in the shell falls to near the lower end of said float.

The tubular bolts 14 have their lower ends closed by plugs 58 which plugs are screw threaded and extend down into the cage 13. Nuts 15 serve to clamp the parts together as previously described. At vtheir upper ends the tubes 1.4 are screwed into threaded openings 24 in the lower face of head l2, and the ends of the tubes arecountersunk to form seats for ball valves 59. To rovide cages to retain the balls 59 in place, pillars 60 extend between the upper and lower faces of the head 12. Y

It is to be observed that the cup 52 hangs n on a tie 54 which is integral with the frame 30. This tie is located at such a height that, when the roller 50 is in position, the cup can not be `lifted from the tie. The head of the valve rod 37 is retained on tie 33 by proximity of the tie 31, and the lever 32 is held on tie 31 by the projection y55 on the cup which always acts to press the lever 3 2 toward the right as shownv in Fig. 3. The roller 50 is held by the spring link 48 before described, and thevalve rod 42 is -held in place bythe spring 46 entering a recess in the top face of lug 41.

By referring to Fig. 6 it will be seen Athat the tube 64 does notV project directly into the main part of chamber 26, but into' a lateral branch 62 which is located at some distance above the bottom of chamber 26. struction makes the lower part of chamber 26 into a trap forany small bodies of dirt or scale which might be carried inward by the incoming air. f f

By referring to Fig. 7 it will be seen that the same plan is followed vfor the eX- haust valve. not go directly into the chamber' 27, but into `a branch 72 some distance above the bottom of chamber 27. This provides a trap for anything falling down pipe 29.

Tt does not require special tools of any kind to assemble the pump or take it apart. The nuts 15 at the lower* ends of tubular bolts 14 have transverse holes in them, and a common nail is all that is necessary to remove them. lVith these ynuts removed, the lower head may be removed by hand and the shell removed leaving other parts secured to the upperhead. Y

Such con-- The opening for valve 43 does rlhe spring link 48 may be released by hand, and this frees roller 50. It is then possible to lift the cup 52 from its support, and withdraw linlr 32. This last trees valve rods 37 and s2. The reverse operation puts the parts together again.

The pump as described is submerged in a well or other place from which water or other liquid is to be pumped. rIhe water pipe 23 may be connected to a liquid receptacle of any kind, but usually is connected to the water pipes of a residence which is not otherwise provided with running water. The air inlet pipe 28 is connected to a source of compressed air from which air under pressure may flow when valve is open. The exhaust pipe 29 is short, and may even have its upper end submerged.

When the pump is lowered into a well, it is empty, and the exhaust valve i3 is open by reason of the weight of the float hanging on the end of lever 32. Under these conditions water iows inward through slots 22 and past valve 19, air at the same time flowing out thru pipe 29. IVhen the water rises high enough to cause the buoyancy of the float to overcome its weight, there is a strain upward on the lever 32, but the weight of the cup 52 restrains upward movement of the float and lever 32 by action of the recess 57 on the roller 50.

The parts are so balanced in regard to each other that the entire buoyancy of the submerged float is not suicient to overcome the resisting force exerted by the weight of the cup on the roller 50 to move said roller out of the recess 57. But when the water rises in the pump to nearly submerge the cup 52, the downward pressure of the cup is reduced by the amount of its displacement in the water. This reduced pressure on the roller permits the rising force of the float to push the roller 50 from recess 57 to recess 56. This occurs at about the time the water level reaches the lowest open edge ot' the cup, so that said cup becomes filled with water.

The rise of lever 32 opens valve 65 so as to permit compressed air to flow into the pump, and at the same time closes exhaust valve 43 to prevent the escape therefrom. The pressure of air in the pump forces water thru openings 25, thru pipes la and past valves 59 into the head 12. From here it flows thru pipe 23 to a discharge. If the discharge orifice is closed, then this movement of water stops when the pressure in pipe 23 equals the air pressure in pipe 28.

We will assume, however, that the discharge pipe 23 is open. Vhen water is being forced out ot the pump, the roller 50 is in recess 56. When the level of the water falls below the cup 52, the weight of the cup and its contents acts to retain the roller in this recess until the water level has fallen to near the bottom of the float. By this time, the weight of the float is sufficient to overcome the resistance caused by the recess 56, and the float falls to shift both valves. When this occurs we have a repetition of the conditions which existed when the pump was irst lowered into the well.

What I claim is l. A pump chamber provided with inlet and outlet openings for air and for water, valves controlling the admission and discharge of air, a iioat located in the lower part of' the pump chamber and controlling said valves, and a weight located in the upper part of the chamber and serving to restrain the operation of said float until the maximum and minimum water levels in the chamber are diilcrent :trom those which normally serve t actuate said float.

2. A pump chamber provided with valves for controlling the admission and discharge of air to and from said chamber, a float located within said chamber and movable by changes of water level in the chamber between upper and lower positions to actuate said valves, and a weight suspended in said chamber and serving to restrain the beginning of movement in each direction but permitting the free completion of a movement after it is started.

3. A pump chamber provided with valves for controlling the admission and discharge of air to'and from said chamber, a float actuated by changes in level of water in the chamber to move said valves, connections from the float to the valves for such purpose, and a weight suspended in said chamber and acting upon said connections to restrain the initial part of a float movement in each direction.

4l. In a pneumatic pump, a pump chamber, valves for the admission and discharge of air to and from said chamber, a fioat operated by the level ot' water in the chamber and provided with connections for operating said valves, and a device for controlling the operation of said lioat, said parts being so constructed that they interlock with each other and the pump body to retain themselves in assembled relationship without the use ot' other connecting devices.

5. In a pneumatic pump, a pump chamber, valves for the admission and discharge of air to and from said chamber, a removable lever operated by the level of water in the chamber and provided with a releasable connection to said valves, and interacting devices for moving said lever to operate said valve, said parts interlocking with each other to retain themselves in operative relationship.

6. The combination with the case and supporting structure of a pneumatic pump, and valves for the admission and discharge of air to and from said chamber, of a valve operating mechanism operated by the level Sie ioo

of Water in the chamber and comprising a lever having slipping connections With said valves and a part of said structure, and lever operating means serving of themselves to retain the slipping connections in proper operative relationship. c

Y. The combination With the case and supporting structure of a pneumatic pump, and valves Jfor the admission and discharge of air to and from said pump, of a valve moving lever having slipping connections with said valves and apart of said structure, a `float operated by the level of the Water in the pump for operating said lever, and a Weight for controlling the operation lof said float, said weight and float operating together to hold the slipping connections in proper operative relationship. Y l

8. In a pneumatic pump, a shell forming the chamber of the pump, a head closing the upper end of the shell and providing a framework located Within the shell, said head having passagevvays therein for air and Water, valves for controllingthe open and closed condition of said passageways, a lever detachably pivoted upon said framework, a pair of rods detachably pivoted upon said lever and serving to operate said air valves, a float controlling said lever, and a Weight detachably supported upon the framework and controlling said float, said detachable connections being restrained from detachment by said shell when said head is secured thereto.

MARTIN S. SVVANSTROM. 

